A shocking exposé of the deplorable conditions and abuses from the Willowbrook State School for Children with Intellectual Disabilities. Willowbrook closed it's doors in the end of the 1987 year following continued lack of funding, movement of patients out of Willowbrook, and a turn in the economy.
Reviewer:bexaune
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August 11, 2023 Subject:
Absolutely horrifying, but eye opening 50+ years later.
Parts of this haven't aged well, like how they refer to patients and some things like that, but the Willowbrook part was so sad. I can't believe that people
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were okay treating children and adults with intellectual disabilities so poorly. My cousin, who was born 4 years after this documentary was filmed, has intellectual disabilities, and the thought of them being subject to a place like Willowbrook is enough to bring tears to my eyes. I have mental health issues myself, and I'm so glad we don't treat people like this anymore(well, except in certain prisons, which is equally awful). This could have been any of us or those we love. We must keep funding programs for people with intellectual and/or mental disabilities. It's something I've noticed we're slipping backwards on here in the US. Even 10 years ago, there were places a person like my cousin or myself could go, and they'd help us fill out food stamp forms, Medicaid applications, and Social Security Disability Insurance forms, if needed. They also provided support in getting people employment. Twenty years ago, we had at least 3 programs in my rural/suburban County that provided those services. Now, there is only one, and you have to be either just out of the psychiatric ward or prison to get their assistance because of budget cuts. We need to address this ASAP.